Funny how no one really reads the old testament but if they did they would notice how much the stories of Moses, Samson, Rebecca, or Ruth actually relate to our lives. I remember this time last year -well I think it was around this time last year- when I had finally realized who my core group of friends were. I remember that day because I cried during church service. That moment of realization had been a long time coming. However, it was not long after that moment did I then realize that I would soon be moving half way around the world without my friends for school - it hit me hard. Here I was, the end of a 4-year wait for great friends only to start another wait all over again. 
  

   Fast forward to a few Sundays later and Pastor Wes was preaching on Abram. 
Now for those of you who don’t know the story of the first Good Ole Abe, it goes a little something like this: 
                                    

  Abram was a wealthy and well-known man in his town. He had land, money, family and friends - all one could need and more. However a day came when God told him to leave all that behind and travel to a distant land called Canaan. At that point Abram was like ‘Okay, God. That’s really funny but you I don’t think that’s gonna happen.’ (Who could blame him, that’s 500 miles of nothing but walking). Despite Abram’s disapproval God told Abram to trust Him and know that He would never do Abe wrong. With that Abram took his family along with some belongings and set foot for Canaan. Like God always has done, He followed through on His promise and  safely delivered Abe to a new land - the land of many promises.
    I too have to thank God for doing the same. God uprooted me from Oregon to live here in Sydney. You’re probably reading this and thinking, big deal, it’s Australia not social exile. Nonetheless, it was not the destination that was the problem for me. I was apprehensive at first because He was taking me away from everything I had ever known- I would still feel the same about moving to Washington. Fortunately, I have a God who provides no matter where I go and that is what He did. So if you took away all the good things that people love about Sydney at the end of the day I would still I feel extremely and utterly blessed to call this place my new home. I left Oregon not to let go of old but to gain a new - friends, memories, experience, and to follow the calling He has put before me.

To any of you who read this, I want you all to know that our God will never take you out to leave you. Trust in Him when He calls you because He’s calling you for greater. No doubt the transition will be a little difficult but that does not make it any less worth it.

    Funny how no one really reads the old testament but if they did they would notice how much the stories of Moses, Samson, Rebecca, or Ruth actually relate to our lives. I remember this time last year -well I think it was around this time last year- when I had finally realized who my core group of friends were. I remember that day because I cried during church service. That moment of realization had been a long time coming. However, it was not long after that moment did I then realize that I would soon be moving half way around the world without my friends for school - it hit me hard. Here I was, the end of a 4-year wait for great friends only to start another wait all over again. 
  

   Fast forward to a few Sundays later and Pastor Wes was preaching on Abram. 
Now for those of you who don’t know the story of the first Good Ole Abe, it goes a little something like this: 
                                    

  Abram was a wealthy and well-known man in his town. He had land, money, family and friends - all one could need and more. However a day came when God told him to leave all that behind and travel to a distant land called Canaan. At that point Abram was like ‘Okay, God. That’s really funny but you I don’t think that’s gonna happen.’ (Who could blame him, that’s 500 miles of nothing but walking). Despite Abram’s disapproval God told Abram to trust Him and know that He would never do Abe wrong. With that Abram took his family along with some belongings and set foot for Canaan. Like God always has done, He followed through on His promise and  safely delivered Abe to a new land - the land of many promises.
    I too have to thank God for doing the same. God uprooted me from Oregon to live here in Sydney. You’re probably reading this and thinking, big deal, it’s Australia not social exile. Nonetheless, it was not the destination that was the problem for me. I was apprehensive at first because He was taking me away from everything I had ever known- I would still feel the same about moving to Washington. Fortunately, I have a God who provides no matter where I go and that is what He did. So if you took away all the good things that people love about Sydney at the end of the day I would still I feel extremely and utterly blessed to call this place my new home. I left Oregon not to let go of old but to gain a new - friends, memories, experience, and to follow the calling He has put before me.

To any of you who read this, I want you all to know that our God will never take you out to leave you. Trust in Him when He calls you because He’s calling you for greater. No doubt the transition will be a little difficult but that does not make it any less worth it.

    Funny how no one really reads the old testament but if they did they would notice how much the stories of Moses, Samson, Rebecca, or Ruth actually relate to our lives. I remember this time last year -well I think it was around this time last year- when I had finally realized who my core group of friends were. I remember that day because I cried during church service. That moment of realization had been a long time coming. However, it was not long after that moment did I then realize that I would soon be moving half way around the world without my friends for school - it hit me hard. Here I was, the end of a 4-year wait for great friends only to start another wait all over again. 
  

   Fast forward to a few Sundays later and Pastor Wes was preaching on Abram. 
Now for those of you who don’t know the story of the first Good Ole Abe, it goes a little something like this: 
                                    

  Abram was a wealthy and well-known man in his town. He had land, money, family and friends - all one could need and more. However a day came when God told him to leave all that behind and travel to a distant land called Canaan. At that point Abram was like ‘Okay, God. That’s really funny but you I don’t think that’s gonna happen.’ (Who could blame him, that’s 500 miles of nothing but walking). Despite Abram’s disapproval God told Abram to trust Him and know that He would never do Abe wrong. With that Abram took his family along with some belongings and set foot for Canaan. Like God always has done, He followed through on His promise and  safely delivered Abe to a new land - the land of many promises.
    I too have to thank God for doing the same. God uprooted me from Oregon to live here in Sydney. You’re probably reading this and thinking, big deal, it’s Australia not social exile. Nonetheless, it was not the destination that was the problem for me. I was apprehensive at first because He was taking me away from everything I had ever known- I would still feel the same about moving to Washington. Fortunately, I have a God who provides no matter where I go and that is what He did. So if you took away all the good things that people love about Sydney at the end of the day I would still I feel extremely and utterly blessed to call this place my new home. I left Oregon not to let go of old but to gain a new - friends, memories, experience, and to follow the calling He has put before me.

To any of you who read this, I want you all to know that our God will never take you out to leave you. Trust in Him when He calls you because He’s calling you for greater. No doubt the transition will be a little difficult but that does not make it any less worth it.

    Funny how no one really reads the old testament but if they did they would notice how much the stories of Moses, Samson, Rebecca, or Ruth actually relate to our lives. I remember this time last year -well I think it was around this time last year- when I had finally realized who my core group of friends were. I remember that day because I cried during church service. That moment of realization had been a long time coming. However, it was not long after that moment did I then realize that I would soon be moving half way around the world without my friends for school - it hit me hard. Here I was, the end of a 4-year wait for great friends only to start another wait all over again. 
  

   Fast forward to a few Sundays later and Pastor Wes was preaching on Abram. 
Now for those of you who don’t know the story of the first Good Ole Abe, it goes a little something like this: 
                                    

  Abram was a wealthy and well-known man in his town. He had land, money, family and friends - all one could need and more. However a day came when God told him to leave all that behind and travel to a distant land called Canaan. At that point Abram was like ‘Okay, God. That’s really funny but you I don’t think that’s gonna happen.’ (Who could blame him, that’s 500 miles of nothing but walking). Despite Abram’s disapproval God told Abram to trust Him and know that He would never do Abe wrong. With that Abram took his family along with some belongings and set foot for Canaan. Like God always has done, He followed through on His promise and  safely delivered Abe to a new land - the land of many promises.
    I too have to thank God for doing the same. God uprooted me from Oregon to live here in Sydney. You’re probably reading this and thinking, big deal, it’s Australia not social exile. Nonetheless, it was not the destination that was the problem for me. I was apprehensive at first because He was taking me away from everything I had ever known- I would still feel the same about moving to Washington. Fortunately, I have a God who provides no matter where I go and that is what He did. So if you took away all the good things that people love about Sydney at the end of the day I would still I feel extremely and utterly blessed to call this place my new home. I left Oregon not to let go of old but to gain a new - friends, memories, experience, and to follow the calling He has put before me.

To any of you who read this, I want you all to know that our God will never take you out to leave you. Trust in Him when He calls you because He’s calling you for greater. No doubt the transition will be a little difficult but that does not make it any less worth it.

I have a few friends but don't feel bad for me.

It’s a process. My last two months in this semi-new place have been a process. During my time here I have been asked quite a number of times in many different ways, “How is Australia treating you?” Well, to put it simply, it’s a process. I remember on the plane ride over here I had so many thoughts, expectations, and plans for my “new” life that I forgot to leave room for reality. So 60 some-odd days later I am now being hit with the stark realization that I don’t have as many  friends as I thought I would; I’m not living in the city nor do I even have a place of my own; my photography business is not thriving the way it was before; and school is a bit much to handle even along side my part-time job. As cool as it would be to say that I moved back to Sydney and landed a nice job that allows me to live a rich life in the city, I cannot. However,  I don’t want anyone to feel bad for me. There is nothing to feel bad for. Yes, I don’t have many friends but the few that I do are worth more than their weight in gold . My photography business is not doing so well but maybe this is the time God set aside for me to focus less on money and more on morals. School and work may be overwhelming but when is ever not? I need to suck it up and remember that this is what I wanted. This is what I prayed countless days for. You see, to anyone - myself included - who tries to rush a process you will find yourself nowhere but at the end of your line with nothing to show for it. You will have sped so far ahead that you forgot to pick up the precious gems along the way. Things take time.

Whilst I wait

Hello there! 

I’m currently on the phone waiting for my tax file information. They have put me on hold for almost half an hour now. No sour grapes here because that means I get to post!

What better a thing to talk about than what to do while you’re waiting. It’s one of those conundrums that plague us everyday: I don’t want to leave the area because I may need to reference one of my papers in case they come back on the line but I don’t want to stay either because I have nothing to do and actually get a jump start on other work is just preposterous.

Alas! I have solved all your problems. I have compiled a list of interesting things for you to read, glance at, and skim through to kill the time. It will keep you entertained and more importantly it in place for when that oh-so-personable and possibly non-automated operator comes back.

1) 15 Swedish words We Should Incorporate Into English Immediately (Thanks Joanna for this)

2) The new Wolverine Trailer - I’m not a reader but I love movies that deal with comic books

3) Better yet, while you’re at it, here are all the new movie trailers that are hitting theaters soon. Get excited, there are some good ones!

4)One of my FAVORITE books (My Careers teacher in 10th grade showed me the documentary version and my way of thinking has never been the same).

5) Bruce Davidson’s Photos

6) Create the future you imagine

7) Designsperation

8) Apartment Therapy - This may or may not be more distracting than Pinterest.

9) 19 Things To Stop Doing (Not just for 20-somethings either)

10a) Hopefully by the time you have completed numbers 1-9, a 10th task won’t be necessary.

10b) However, if 10a is not true go here. Read this. and Know these words are true.

You're not a cookie, God made you into a brownie.

"You’re not a cookie, God made you into a brownie."

I told that to my sister a few years ago before she met my charming and funny brother-in-law.

Life is complicated because we don’t have a reason for everything. No one knows why certain things happen, especially when it comes to finding love. A few years fresh from grad school, it seemed as though everyone in my sister’s circle of friends was either getting married, having babies, or both!
 Major news like that, if it’s not happening to you can leave you questioning yourself, your looks, and the way God made you. Seeing my sister in that state got me thinking too. I mean, my sister by no means is ugly- she’s quite gorgeous. Her persona and personality are magnetic, and she loves to watch Pride and Prejudice (one of my personal favorites about her). Why are all her friends in relationships and she’s not?

Enter the cookie/brownie analogy. He [God] explained it to me like this:

Some women I made into cookies, and some women I made into brownies. All the women you see planning weddings right now are cookies. Their time in the oven has come to an end and they are ready to be taken out. However, some people like Simi, [my sister] are brownies. In no way are they any less than cookies and in no way are they any more, they just have different “baking” times. Imagine if you took a brownie out of the oven the same time you did a cookie. What would happen? The brownie would be somewhat hard on the outside but icky and gooey on the inside. It wouldn’t even be the gooey type that some people like to eat. In other words, the brownie just wouldn’t be ready. So, not to fret my daughters, if you are not a cookie it is not the end of the world. Just wait a bit longer and soon enough and it will be your turn.

I just thought I would share that with all the girl readers out there- guys too. I say a big congratulations to all the cookies out there! Additionally, to  all the brownies, just wait and see. Your time is coming and it’s gonna be ah-mazing.

——
In case any of you were wondering, below is a picture of my sister and Sam, her husband below. Her waiting proved to be worth while. Not only did she get engaged ( I got to take their engagement photos!) but she just recently celebrated her  6-month anniversary.  Congrats you two. Love you both.